


Aftermath

by Mossymoo



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 08:52:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7611580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mossymoo/pseuds/Mossymoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aftermath of an argument with his mother and father, Alec is suffering. Magnus fields Alec's stress and angst foregoing his own anxieties- and they turn it into somewhat of an evening event. Mostly Fluff, yo |:</p><p>{I actually wrote this before the episode aired, and then substituted rewritten show dialogue}</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

The traumatic hurricane of familial anguish had passed, if only temporarily, but in its wake lay decimation of a different kind.

He should have felt a sense of relief. He had the support of his essentially jilted bride, of his friends, but the dark and cold blemish within his otherwise liberated core, expanded like a canker and swallowed much of the adrenaline fuelled self-belief he’d experienced earlier.

Emotional trauma and psychological exhaustion; though he did his best to conceal it, Alec was, broken.

It was plain to see behind that solemn expression and through the rounded slouch to broad shoulders. The bliss and relief that had consumed their conscious minds hours previous had been replaced by an unsettling feeling of dread. It was a feeling that found itself entirely misplaced, and altogether uninvited.

He’d never been the ‘Golden Boy’, as such, not in the classical sense at least, but family was the epitome of importance. Every fibre of his being ached in a confusing mixture of long repressed desire, and heart breaking dismay; what his family thought, was important. So to have such an aggressive reaction to something that felt so basal, and instinctual, shook him to his core. Everything he knew, everything he was had been turned upside down, and inside out.

Alec shuffled down the corridor, head bowed, away from a door that swung closed under its own colossal weight. Glad to be putting distance between him and a situation that made no sense. The muffled banshee wailing behind the panel was testament to just how well the conversation had gone. So, whilst Magnus had been pacing like a nervous new parent, he stopped in his tracks as he heard the echoes of footsteps bouncing from wall to wall. Turning slowly, he chanced a glance over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Alec’s grimace. He allowed him the room to march past him, turned on his heel and followed in his wake wordlessly, until they reached the point where the corridor advanced to the right.

“ **On a scale of one to ten...** ” Magnus’ dark, immersive eyes darted to the ground, furtively flickering up in sudden indecision, as if the question was more than likely going to earn yet more pain, and flick the repression switch to ‘on’. It had to be asked though otherwise he would be swallowed into another realm through an unexplained portal-

“ **How... Unpleasant was it?** ” He winced, his form practically shrunk away as he searched Alec’s barely legible expression. Entirely uncharacteristic for a man whose carefully crafted, age-old bravado made him appear more a peacock, than a sparrow. He pressed his index fingers and thumb pads together, nervously tracing soothing circles at his sides.

Alec glanced at him, rolling his eyes with an air of exasperation, he exhaled forcibly. With his jaw set, and his expression sombre, he spent a few long moments staring at the ground disappearing beneath him with every step he took as he paced, but he finally angled his features so he could offer a shrug of a smile. He paused in indecision halfway down the small flight of stairs and pressed the small of his back up against the railing-

“ **Ugh...Off the charts.** ” Alec breathed despondently, his shoulders impacted painted plasterboard with a dull thud, along with the base of his skull as he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked down over the curves of his cheeks, from beneath the shadow of a frown and swallowed, his glower softening as he caught Magnus’ eye -

“ **I’ve never seen them so angry...** ”  He tensed his jaw as he studied Magnus’ features, subconsciously looking for the reassurance that the man unwittingly offered time and time again. He wasn’t disappointed.

The Warlock squared his shoulders under Alec’s gaze, the burgundy velvet of his jacket glittering in the strip lighting as he fidgeted the garment’s restraint into a more comfortable position. It took Magnus a couple of seconds to respond, his voice plaintive, and warm, a wistful and somewhat misty expression settling in. Any apprehension he had felt moments previous was hastily concealed for the sake of at least appearing as the pillar of strength that Alec needed in that moment-

“ **Give them time.** ” He uttered gently, inclining his features ever so slightly as he tugged the lower hem of his blazer, straightening it against his front.

Alec shook his head dismissively, and pushed away from his perch. “ **After what I did, I don’t think they’ll ever forgive me.** ”

Whilst it served its purpose, the Institute was oppressive. In more ways than just their ancient views, rites and rituals, and as Alec slumped down the stairs towards the main hallway, carelessly placing his feet and practically falling down step by step, he realised with no uncertainty that he needed to get away. He needed a change of scenery, and to escape the emotional turmoil that had transpired after an undeniably perfect event. He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing Magnus with a degree of uncertainty.

“ **A parent’s love should not be underestimated, Alexander...** ” Magnus offered with gentle assertion. 

However, as Alec turned away from him to drop from the final step, the Warlock found himself swallowing the lump that inexplicably formed in his throat. It was a conspicuous mass of dread that set to straddle his vocal chords, congealing vowels and consonants to indecipherable gurgling. It threatened to choke him and accompanied by the sudden dull twisting at the pit of his stomach, the anguish that flooded like ice through his veins had become too excruciating to ignore. Magnus found the fabric of his being cramping with dread, and the coiled serpent of consternation struck possibly harder than he was intending it to, the anxiety escaped his check.

“ **...You, uh- don’t regret it, do you?** ” Magnus’ voice quavered with deep seated unease. He tentatively followed behind at the point of Alec’s shoulder, fingers running restlessly over the pads of each thumb.

Alec stopped, and turned. His hands raised in a gesture of earnest. He sought eye contact, but quickly severed it as his brain trip-fell over itself to fabricate some form of intelligent answer. His fingers bunched to fists. The main issue, of course being, that making sense of the maelstrom of emotions that surged through his core, was nigh on impossible. So he settled with:

“ **...Everything happened so fast. I haven’t- I haven’t... Had time to think.** ” Sucking in a steadying breath, he looked up apologetically, knowing full well that his explanation wouldn’t nearly be enough, even when garnished with a watery half smile. Pathetic, really, but it was all his brain would allow his mouth to voice.

Alec wasn’t sure what sort of a response his hastily sewn together mutterings would earn him, but the serene and sympathetic smile that he received tugged a quirk of his own into existence and served to settle the frazzled endings of nerves that fired uncontrollably. Magnus smiled, shrugged his shoulders in an animated fashion and flared his fingers-

“ **...Ok.** ” Magnus paused, more for thought than anything but the pause was long enough that Alec searched the depths of those warm brown eyes of his with innocent intrigue-

“ **Maybe we can slow things down.** ” He smiled, eyelids meeting languidly in a fond, kittenish blink- “ **Why don’t we start with that date you owe me, hm?** ” It was a soft cadence, with a warm empathy that lingered long after the hum at the back of his throat ceased. He laced his hands together, notched his fingers and allowed the basket that had been formed to rest at waist height.

Now, if he was to be quite honest, Magnus would admit that he tired of the mahogany wall cladding, of the polished wooden floors and ornate stained glass windows. The gothic arches served no other purpose than to remind him just where he was, and it was a place that he would sooner vacate.

He couldn’t help but smile as Alec’s breath hitched, a hiccup of relief. He was right, things had escalated quickly, and he knew all too well that it was a voyage of personal discovery that demanded nurturing and understanding. There would be trepidation, and there would undeniably be hesitation and apprehension, but through it all Magnus silently vowed that he’d endeavour to quietly lead Alec through the labyrinthine tangle of emotions that he was experiencing.

No harm in passing on age old wisdom.

It was no small thing that Alec had achieved. Simultaneously foregoing everything he had strived to be for the sake of ‘face’, and accepting who he truly was, what he truly wanted. It was a giant leap, and Magnus could only quietly take pride in having been part of it.

Slipping his fingers delicately from their designated notches, releasing them from their white knuckled embrace, he snapped them, sending fizzling blue sparks into the atmosphere. The swirl of blue light that ignited contracted and then expanded to form a portal of swimming blue and purple light in the wall next to him. The glow rendered his sharp features with rich colour-

“ **...What do you say, Alexander? Fancy getting out of this dingy place?** ” Magnus’ dark eyes danced with a playful mischief, an addictive quality that proved entirely irresistible to the brooding shadow opposite. Alec’s smile was genuine, and Magnus felt his heart make that long forgotten flutter.

And so, for the second time that day, and much to Magnus’ unabashed awe, Alec Lightwood took the first step. First, he side eyed the Warlock with a dutiful air of scepticism, and then disappeared through the swirling, pulsating light, reflexly ducking his head though the action was entirely unnecessary. Magnus glanced down the empty, barren halls of The Institute, before smoothing his hands down his jacket, and following suit with one graceful stride.

Light flashed, swirled and finally contracted around them, fizzling to nothing. Alec couldn’t quite shake the heady feeling that washed over him, and he wavered on the spot as Magnus strode into the gaping mouth of the living space.

The apartment was something that Alec would hazard a guess at being ‘typically Magnus’. It was a clandestine saying, passed between Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike. He’d been around more than long enough to have evoked a certain reputation, or rather he had carefully crafted one over time.

When he spoke a certain way, when he wore a certain thing... There were just things in life that were typically things that Magnus would go for. Crazy thing was, he’d been there before. He knew the rich wooden flooring, the rugs and the swathes of rich and sumptuously coloured fabric that hung from the walls, or draped languidly over furniture. He found himself looking around, carefully taking in every detail of the Warlock’s impeccably decorated apartment. The kitchen, even the lampshades had been carefully chosen and this pulled the corner of his lips into a half-tilt smirk. It was an interior that described Magnus’ tastes, but also his experiences throughout his life. This was definitely, typically Magnus; even down to the scent of sandalwood and spices that seemed to have taken residence in the very foundation of the space.

Magnus floated past, casually brushing elbows with Alec who slowly spun to track his path towards the living space. He dropped into seat on the sofa, hitching one knee, and snapping his fingers. A fine stemmed wine glass appeared with a metallic sheen of a noise, pinched delicately between his fingers. Alec was brought back to Earth most suddenly as the cool curve of a glass manifested in his own hand. He eyed the glass sceptically, and flicked his eyes furtively up at the beaming Warlock sprawled sensually over sofa cushions. Would he ever get used to that? No, but that was more than ok with Alec.

“ **...Make yourself comfortable.** ” Magnus gusted a sigh, settling back against the cushions, practically purring contentedly as he did so.

Wordlessly, Alec’s lips curled into an uncertain smile, and he nodded somewhat awkwardly, in gratitude. He glanced around the room momentarily, and finally picked a perch on the edge of the blackcurrant armchair seats opposite the sofa, which boasted a luxuriating Warlock. He dropped down like a stone, graceful as ever, resting with knees parted and his glass gripped languidly, forearms balanced over his thighs as he bent forwards. He hefted a despondent sigh, his attention swallowed by the rippling surface of the red wine within his glass.

Magnus swirled the contents of his glass idly, his wrist cocked and fingers forming a cage over the gaping mouth, allowing the liquid to move under its own vortex. He watched, quietly. Dark eyes narrowed as they took Alec in: his demeanour, his posture. Magnus mulled over the miraculous, and undeniably delicious fact that, hours previous, he had been in a tight clinch with the archer, in front of hundreds of dignitaries. It was a reckless, and entirely soul igniting action instigated solely by the now sombre creature who occupied his armchair.

There was something about that frown. The way that Alec’s dark brows knitted together and cast that unforgiving shadow of moroseness; the flicker of tension in his jaw as he ground the irregular surfaces of molars together firmly, were things that just didn’t sit well. They made the Warlock experience a level of discomfort that bordered painful, though he’d never dare show it. He tapped a lacquered fingernail to the glinting rim of the glass in his grip.

“ **It’ll be alright. They just-** “ Magnus sighed, his breath gusting down his chest as he glanced down and away from the distraught expression opposite him.

“ **Time.** ” He interjected, barely lifting his gaze- “ **I know. You keep saying...** ” Alec shrugged one of those watery smiles of his, his eyes flicking from where they fixed at the point of his knee.

Magnus could only offer a small smile towards the mess of choppy dark hair at the crown of Alec’s head, his down cast expression all but hid his features. It was an undeniably warm gesture, gentle and one that only intensified the longer he studied him. As Alec dragged his attention upwards, he peacefully, and with a glimmer of confidence, took his time surveying Magnus’ features.

There was a natural lull in conversation, and an impasse. Magnus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Alec just... Stared.

At him.

For a good few minutes. Breathing steadily, and blinking languidly as he took a deliberately slow sip of his wine.

The silence was maddening. There was an abundance of white noise, a static symphony that rang in the ears, deafening in the absence of conversation. The fridge groaned, the coolant surging through the winding pipes. The muffled thuds of a sound system a few floors below, the sounds of the building and the gentle huff of ‘inhale, exhale’ from those present were the only things that betrayed silence.

Now, it wasn’t that Magnus enjoyed the sound of his own voice; it was just that a pause this long made the cogs of his mind whirr and clunk at break neck speed. That, coupled with the way he was being watched, made his heart fell into an ungainly colt-like gallop. Despite his vital organs squirming, he endeavoured to maintain some form of composure. He lifted the glass to his lips, the glinting glass rested on the pad of his lower lip as he mirrored the languid sip taken moments previous.

A kittenish flicker over his lip removed any residue of the rich red, and he inclined his head in bird-like query. Alec’s intensity and the thirst of those soul-filled eyes had captured interest.

“ **...Are you-** “ The question was extinguished as soon as it had ignited like dragon fire turning to nothing but a smouldering ember. Snuffed. He had swallowed, creating a congealed quality to the edge of his voice, but he was cut short as Alec interjected-

“ **I don’t...** ” Alec uttered simply. His jaw tensing, and brow furrowing as he looked away almost coyly. He swilled the wine around the glass and studied it with forced interest, though the chanced glance over the gaping mouth of the glass wasn’t missed.

Magnus squinted.

“ **Uh- I’m sorry Alexander, you’ve... Lost me.** ” Magnus’ lips twisted into a smile that rendered his confusion clearly. He lifted the glass to his lips and took yet another sip, but the glass hovered close to his mouth for longer than intended as he quirked a brow quizzically.

“ **I... Don’t.** ” He repeated brightly, his left eyebrow twitched higher and the cadence of his was one that caught Magnus’ attention. His attention snagged simply due to the smile that followed as Alec discarded his glass to the side, with a bright sheen of wine glass to tabletop. His fingers peeled away from the stem, and he pressed his hands into the meat of his thighs as he hefted himself up from his seat.

Dark, kohl rimmed eyes tracked him with quiet intrigue, his tongue reflexly moistening the parched cushion of his lip.

He didn’t what? What on earth was Alec muttering on about?

As his mind made attempts at deciphering Alec’s clandestine codex, he tapped a ring clad finger against the stem of the glass, before reaching forwards with some effort to place it safely to the table. Using his fingertips, he nudged the vessel away from the edge and rolled back into the embrace of the sofa cushions.

Alec swallowed, the subtle tremor of his hands barely noticeable, but it wasn’t until Alec stepped forwards, and walked deftly around the edge of the coffee table that lay between them, that Magnus reached the pinnacle of realisation.

Did he move? No. Well he twitched, but it was actually mostly due to the fact that the realisation of what Alec was mumbling about had all but paralyzed him. It had taken Magnus longer than it should have done, given the grand gesture in the middle of the wedding, but the rich red wine had diverted his mind’s eye. The only tell of his sudden roller coaster up swing of his stomach was a subtle rubbing of fingers and thumbs at his sides. He dropped his right arm over his stomach, and pinched the fabric of his sleeve absently, watching Alec’s movement with languid, heavy lidded curiosity.

As Alec stopped short of slamming his shins against the sofa, he dropped heavily into a seat on the edge of the sofa that Magnus occupied. The springs complained, and the cushions compressed. Magnus’ slight form rebounded gently, practically catapulting him into the atmosphere. The bubble of laughter that escaped his check was enough to make Alec grin like a buffoon. Something that Magnus hadn’t yet seen, but something he didn’t want to forget quickly.

“ **Use your words, Alexander... What’re you trying to say?** ” He huffed in playful chastisement, a velvet purr that rolled between his lips, his voice just loud enough to breach the silent void that had existed between the two.

Magnus wasn’t quite sure when things had taken such a drastic turn, but with the intensity that Alec was staring him down, quite frankly, he was euphoric they had. Consequences be damned, right this second.

Alec loomed closer, and still Magnus remained still and searching for any clue as to what was going through his mind. He leaned in ever so slightly, all rune emblazoned skin, and quavering muscle fibres- bracing himself by pressing his hand into the armrest just above the choppy black and red tipped down of Magnus’ hair. The side of his thumb trapped a lock of hair to the flocked fabric of the sofa, and absently smoothed it, which prompted Magnus to glance at the inner facet of Alec’s wrist.

Magnus smiled peacefully up at Alec from his lower vantage point, slightly taken aback and yet entirely appreciative of the sudden attention; so much so that a small purr resonated in his throat as he was squished to the sofa by the beautiful warmth and pressure of bodyweight.

Unless his eyes deceived him, and much to his visible amusement, Alec’s cheeks had flushed. The crimson was seeping in darker, skin burning under the slew of blood; his face suddenly hidden in the crook of Magnus’ neck with an awkward chuckle and nose tip skimming the line of his jaw tenderly as he shook his head. He slid in over Magnus like a blanket; wrapping him in a squished-to-the-sofa hug, where lips find the pulse point below his ear in a kiss, his words delivered in a soft, breathy murmur that spread its searing heat over Magnus’ skin and down his spine like molten lava-

“ **I don’t... Regret it.** ” The words slipped with uncharacteristic silk, between Alec’s lips. It was a languid whisper that tickled against the side of Magnus’ face, warm and enticing. An unveiled secret that Alec’s head and heart had fought over for hours, and hours. Alec lipped at the shell of Magnus’ ear, nose nudging the silver serpentine cuff that was always there, without fail, as he retreated.

“ **Say that again...?** ” Magnus side-eyed him sceptically.

“ **I don’t. Regret it.** ”

Magnus’ breath hitched at the back of his throat, his lungs suddenly too small to accommodate the necessary oxygen to feed an addled brain, or a surging, pulsating heart.

No one word would ever be strong enough; no phrase would ever have the capacity to render this emotion in the colours that burst through his core. Whilst his expression might have been, typically blank and non-descript, it was beautiful. Beautiful; and yet as he basked in the warmth of this beauty... He found himself to be altogether terrified. It took every ounce of courage to allow the chains to drop from around his inner sanctums; all energy had been diverted to the situation at hand... and yet everything seemed to come so naturally.

All four seasons in one day. Magnus was convinced that the phrase beautifully illustrated just what had happened: Spring, summer, autumn and winter all thrown into the melting pot. Alec had strolled down the aisle, with the sole intention of fulfilling duty. Instead he had engaged in a mind bending, earth shattering and life changing moment with a person who deserved nothing but to be held tight, and made to feel safe. The privately shed tears, the heartache and the raised voices were forgotten. They seeped away, winding through the ether like ink through water.

Those fragile silver threads that had ensnared their souls hadn’t broken as he had expected given the rough shove, and violent kicking the Shadowhunter had exhibited over time. Instead, they tugged and pulled, desperate to knit distant halves to one single piece. Drawn together like magnets to steel.

That intense gaze flicking between his eyes and the curl of his mouth, Alec wavered in indecision as if almost asking if it was ok. Questioning himself over and over again, until- All at once, Alec was kissing Magnus.

Alec kissed him again, for the second time in what could only have been half a day. Full on the mouth, deftly, and yet as messy as recollection served.

The gentle urgency of satin lips flush against his, the tiny breaths of air that punctuated the desperate pleas for attention; though they would have usually made him smile that characteristic curl of a smile, a chill ran down his spine. It wouldn’t have been the first time Magnus had been sure he was dreaming that what was happening was a cruel trick of the light.

A scowl, a frown of disbelief as Alec’s words finally hit home, words that had been carefully reinforced with a scaffold of deep seated fear beneath the tarpaulin of undeniable desire. They struck, one by one against his heart with the brassy tones of a peeling bell, and as they ceased, as that rich voice disappeared from the waves of his thoughts he flexed his jaw and pulled back just enough to survey his face. His expression blank, yet his eyes burned with an intensity that pulled emotion straight from his heart.

The warm dark brown of his eyes skated over the deep hues of Magnus’. He shamelessly made an appraisal of the smoky eyes and the glinting of a fine sheen of glitter that seared over expertly carved cheekbones. Again the muscles of Alec’s jaw flickered and flinched beneath the skin, his teeth grinding against one another as he studied Magnus’ face silently, a whisper away.

“ **...Ok.** ” Magnus blurted out with a coy giggle, burying his face against the side of Alec’s throat.

Leaning in, stealing a place in his aura and taking a shaken inward breath his eyes fell closed dreamily; his brow brushing Magnus’.

“ **You’re an ass.** ” Alec uttered in a somewhat amorous whisper through a broad grin, the last breath from worn lungs, the tattered wings of fluttering butterflies that barely reached beyond the inner most margins of his lips. He sighed, drawing Magnus’ lower lip between the blunt edges of his teeth, he nibbled it transiently.

His cheeks were burning, his lips were flushed and he’d only just regained purchase on his breathing patterns. His breath had, quite literally, been taken away.


End file.
